Fluid handling cassette having a spectroscopic sample cell

A system for measuring an analyte in a bodily fluid, said system comprising:

• a main analysis and control instrument comprising an analyte detection system;
• and
• a fluid handling module removably engageable with said main instrument, the module being adapted to measure the analyte in a plurality of samples of the bodily fluid before being removed, said fluid handling module further comprising:
• a centrifuge rotor which is rotatable about a centrifuge axis;
• and
• a sample cell located on said rotor, said sample cell being rotatable with said rotor about said centrifuge axis;
• said sample cell comprising an input fluid passageway in fluid communication with the instrument for communicating a first sample of the bodily fluid into the sample cell, a sample chamber for containing the first sample, and an output fluid passageway for conveying the first sample out of the chamber following analyte detection;
• the centrifuge rotor adapted to provide a first sample component and a second sample component, the sample chamber adapted to contain both first and second sample components of said first sample,
• said rotor and said sample cell being rotatable to a measurement position in which said sample cell operatively engages said analyte detection system such that only one of the first or second sample components is analyzed, and a flush fluid for separating the first sample from a second sample.

A method for extracting and analyzing a bodily fluid of a patient, said method comprising:

• attaching a fluid handling module to a reusable fluid handling instrument, wherein:
• said fluid handling module comprises a fluid component separator, a spectroscopic sample cell and a first fluid passageway;
• and
• said reusable fluid handling instrument comprises an analyte detection system;
• drawing a volume of a bodily fluid from said patient into said first fluid passageway;
• with said fluid component separator, separating a first component from said volume of bodily fluid drawn from said patient;
• holding at least a portion of said first component of said bodily fluid in said spectroscopic sample cell;
• with said analyte detection system, analyzing in said sample cell said first component to determine a concentration of an analyte;
• and
• conveying the first component away from the spectroscopic sample cell after analysis.

A system for measuring an analyte in a bodily fluid, said system comprising:

• a main analysis and control instrument comprising an analyte detection system;
• and
• a fluid handling module removably engageable with said main instrument, the fluid handling module being adapted to facilitate measurement of the analyte in a plurality of samples of the bodily fluid being removed, said fluid handling module further comprising:
• a sample handling device;
• and
• a sample cell operatively coupled with said sample handling device;
• said sample cell comprising a sample chamber for containing a first sample, an input fluid passageway for communicating the first sample into the sample chamber, and an output fluid passageway for communicating the first sample out of the sample chamber following analyte detection in the first sample, said output fluid passageway adapted to permit a subsequent sample to be admitted into the sample chamber;
• the sample handling device adapted to separate at least a first sample component of said first sample from at least a second sample component of said first sample, the sample chamber adapted to contain at least one of the first and second sample components of said first sample;
• said sample cell having a measurement position in which said sample cell operatively engages said analyte detection system such that at least one of the first sample component and the second sample component is analyzed.